From:-
TORCH TRUST FOR THE BLIND, Torch House, Torch Way, Northampton Road, Market
Harborough, Leicestershire, LE16 9HL, U.K.
Telephone: (01858) 438260, Fax: (01858) 438275, email: info@torchtrust.org
Charity Number 1095904.
75 years of The Torch magazine and news of Stella Heath
It’s that happy time of year again: Advent and Christmas, when we celebrate the coming of the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ. At this time of year we often attribute to Jesus the title, first given prophetically by Isaiah, Immanuel, meaning “God with us”. Not only does this title remind us that Jesus was around on earth for 33 years two thousand years ago but perhaps more importantly it reminds us of the timeless fact that God did actually become one of us – that he did, and therefore forever does, share our humanity. He returned to his Father’s side with a body and appears in Revelation with that same recognisable form.
For many of us, Christmas will bring family reunions; perhaps a return visit to parental homes, or our own children returning to our homes. But I have been wondering how the first Christmas felt for God the Father. For him it marked not an arrival but a departure – it was the beginning of a time of excruciating separation for the closest family ever, captured with the heart-rending words of Jesus from the cross:
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46)
In one of his parables, recorded in Matthew 21, Jesus gives us some insight for God’s perspective on Christmas. In this story, God is played by a landowner who plants a vineyard and puts tenant farmers in to tend it. But when the landowner sends servants to collect the produce they are beaten up by the tenants, some even killed. More servants are sent and receive similar treatment. Determined not to lose the vineyard the landowner decides the only option is to send his own son, thinking that he at least will be treated with respect. Instead the tenants see the son’s arrival as an opportunity to finally secure control of the vineyard, and so they kill him.
Jesus told this parable to the religious leaders of the day and it was clearly directed against them. They were the self-interested tenants. Jesus concludes the story by asking what his audience thinks the landowner should do with the tenants. By their response they condemn themselves:
“He will bring those wretches to a wretched end ... and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants.”
God did send his servants, some leaders and kings, some prophets and priests and they did encounter rejection. God did send his Son into the world. Jesus came to the land of Israel and the religious leaders did see him killed. But though the parable stops there, God’s “harvest” plan was not wrecked by Jesus’ death, but fulfilled through it. He rose from the dead, declaring eternal victory and returned to his Father.
This story reminds us that there is some background to God sending his son into the world, and a purpose to it. Ever since the rift between God and mankind that started with disobedience in the garden of Eden, God has been working for our salvation.
As Christmas approaches we make preparations for our celebrations. Advent presents us with the opportunity to prepare spiritually for Christmas. And God made preparations for the first Christmas.
It started a long way back – hundreds of years in advance. Isaiah prophesied:
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)
He and others anticipated the day when God would appear on earth. People were to be looking for his arrival.
Parents were needed, not just for Jesus, but for John the Baptist too. And these parents needed to be prepared for their part in God’s plan. An angel tells Jesus’ startled mother:
“Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.” (Luke 1:30-32)
Born six months before Jesus, John’s foreshortened life was lived to introduce Jesus to the public – to launch his ministry. Gospel writer, Matthew, spotted the link with Isaiah’s prophesy:
A voice of one calling in the desert, “Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him”. (Matthew 3:3)
As the time approaches a civil servant’s delight – a census – sets the scene. Heavily pregnant Mary and Joseph set off to Bethlehem, to the very town that the prophets hinted would be the arrival place for the promised Messiah – the Son of David born in the city of David. They are not alone. With accommodation hopelessly overbooked they find only a stable for the delivery.
Far away Magi (we often call them the wise men), prompted by God, set off on an epic journey to bring homage to a newborn king, bringing valuable gifts that would turn out to be deeply significant. Where is it that they find the king they seek? Not in a palace, artificially isolated from the rest of society.
A huge contrast – dirty, scruffy, disreputable shepherds form the final link in the elaborate preparations. Terrified by the blazing “glory of the Lord” they receive the momentous announcement:
“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.”
How are they to know that this message is authentic? Where is it that the shepherds find this infant saviour? Amazingly, it’s right in the middle of the mess of a farm – right where the animals feed:
“This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
As an adult Jesus, the one born to be King of kings, the Son of God, was to be found right in the middle of the mess of broken human society. And that’s exactly where we who follow in his footsteps are to be found. Not in a holy huddle, segregated within our messed-up world, but in the middle of it, sleeves rolled up, bringing light and peace and joy and hope in his name.
So we use these pages to refresh our memory of Christmas, to draw us together as a family with Jesus at the centre and to remind us that we are now engaged to work in His vineyard.
And for the New Year ahead – God bless you and everyone of the Torch family.
Gordon Temple
by Gordon Temple
We come to the end of Torch’s 75th year. The magazine was produced by the Trench sisters in 1931 as a way of helping their coachman who was losing his sight. Initially published only in braille, just 60 copies of the first edition were distributed. One has survived.
The Trench family were devout Christian people. Winscales, their massive home just outside Workington was the base for a local children’s Sunday School. Today it is a grand country hotel. Recently I was invited to speak at a church in Workington that has long supported the work of Torch. After the service the leaders took me and my wife, Pat, there for Sunday lunch. It just made the story of the earliest origins of Torch come alive for me. The owners of the hotel even found a photo of the Trench family dating back more than 100 years.
Ron and Stella Heath (“Mum” and “Dad” Heath to many) came to know about the magazine in the nick of time when through age and infirmity the surviving Trench sister was about to give it up. They took over the editorship in 1959 and the Torch Trust of today had its “birth”. To the best of my knowledge Stella Heath has faithfully contributed bright, challenging and encouraging articles to just about every edition since – but not this one.
Back at the end of July, Stella suffered a stroke. She spent some weeks in hospital but having made a remarkable recovery she is now living back at home. However her speech is still affected and she tires easily. Do pray for her healing and for patience as the condition must be very frustrating for her. Her words, both spoken and written, have been such a blessing to countless people, especially those who are blind or partially sighted.
by Norman Hillyer
What is so special about shepherds? Why should they be the only ones that night to be entertained by a heavenly choir? Or to be the first outsiders to be told exclusive news?
The milling crowds packed into Bethlehem, up there for the registration, argued such questions when the excited shepherds startled them with their tales next day. Few believed them anyway. Jewish shepherds in those days were notorious for their careless handling of the truth. Courts of law paid little attention to evidence from their lips. Orthodox Jews despised them for their lack of piety.
Not that the nature of their occupation allowed time off to attend temple or synagogue. The flocks could hardly be left to look after themselves. Hyenas, jackals, wolves, and even bears (in biblical times anyway) were all too common. Religious folk might look down their noses at shepherds. But those around Bethlehem were exceptional in one respect. It was their flock that provided many of the animals for daily sacrifice in the great temple at Jerusalem, about six miles to the north.
That privilege did not make their task any easier. The lot of a shepherd anywhere in Palestine had always meant a rough, tough life.
Even October nights could be bitterly cold. Centuries earlier Jacob had cause to complain about the biting frost, as he looked after the flock of his uncle Laban. And in the usual great sheepskin robes, with the fleeces on the inside for greater warmth, and a hood to ward off the wind. But shepherding still had its compensations. Whatever rude remarks some pious people might make, shepherds could claim an honourable enough ancestry.
At some time in their lives, nearly all the Old Testament prophets had looked after sheep and goats. So had the greatest of the figures of Jewish history – men like Abraham, Moses, and David.
Though learned rabbis might profess not to understand the reason why, even God himself was called the Shepherd of Israel (Psalm 80).
Of course, there were bad shepherds, and some who prompted hints that they were not above “resting quietly among the sheepfolds”, instead of taking proper care of their flocks in the wilds. But most recognised the task for what it was: one that required dedication, courage, of putting up with weeks away from the comforts of home and family life.
For the shepherds in the Bethlehem fields, the night the angels sang began much like any other. Not so in the town up on the hill, buzzing with activity as folk tried to settle in the unusual invasion of visitors.
So many reunions. So much noise and excitement. So pressing the jobs that just had to be done. So many good women hard at it, getting meals, flitting from room to room, making up beds in odd corners. So many echoing walls shutting people indoors. So many oil lamps shining on glowing cheeks and busy mouths.
But out in the fields, the shepherds were not involved. For them, the still watch, the noiseless stars pinned to a velvet backcloth above.
These men had few wants. Their lives were uncluttered. Time enough to wonder. Quiet enough to listen. They alone at Bethlehem were hushed to hear the good news when it broke.
by Norman Hillyer
Once a year we are bidden to go “even unto Bethlehem and see this thing which is come to pass” – to gaze upon the Babe lying in a manger.
It is not a bit of good telling a baby what a great person you are. The baby will merely smile and gurgle, quite unimpressed. All that the baby requires is your love. Everything else flows from that.
by Michael Stafford
I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint. (Hab 2:1)
Torch House in Malawi employs three watchmen who are paid to stay awake all night and be alert for any intruders. Armed with truncheons and wearing uniforms, they have sometimes been called the “Torch Army”!
Any watchman has to be alert, and Habakkuk was no exception – he had to be ready to hear what the Lord had further to say to him concerning the alarming message he had already been given.
In Israel there were two kinds of watchtower – one was commonly seen in the middle of a farm to keep a look-out for thieves trying to steal the crops; the other kind was on the city walls to look out for the approach of an enemy. Prophets were often seen as being like watchmen and Habakkuk was no exception – seeking a quiet place to watch and wait, as Jonah did when he went outside the city of Nineveh and sat down, waiting for the Lord’s word (Jonah 4:5). Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still and know that I am God”. We all need to have times of quiet before the Lord to hear His voice and to speak with Him, and it is good to set aside a time each day for this, if possible.
Most of chapter two makes grim reading – full of sin, sorrow and judgment – but watch out for the three “jewels” shining brightly in the midst of all this darkness.
Then the Lord replied: “write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.” (2:2,3)
Habakkuk had to do two things. Firstly he had to write down the revelation. This would be done on clay tablets – longer lasting than parchment – as it had to endure throughout the exile of God’s people in Babylon.
The message was urgent and must be made widely known, but secondly there was a need to wait for it. Faith and patience were needed (more difficult in our day, when people want everything “instantly”). God had fixed a time, as he did also for the first coming of Jesus Christ to this earth which we are remembering as we draw near to Christmas. When we studied Galatians two years ago we noted chapter 4 verse 4 which says “when the time had fully come, God sent His Son ...” His Son will also come a second time, so we need to watch and wait patiently and with faith, for that to happen. We are often reluctant to wait to know God’s purposes. We ask “why, Lord”? about things in our world. God is telling Habakkuk to trust Him. He will judge Israel’s enemies in His own time.
“See, he is puffed up; his desires are not upright – but the righteous will live by his faith – indeed, wine betrays him; he is arrogant and never at rest. Because he is as greedy as the grave and like death is never satisfied, he gathers to himself all the nations and takes captive all the peoples.”
The Babylonians are proud and unrighteous, but in contrast to them, “the just shall live by faith”. This important spiritual principle is repeated three times in the New Testament – in Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; and in Hebrews 10:37-38. This was the text which so affected Martin Luther during a pilgrimage in which he fell ill at Bologne in France, with the text repeatedly going round in his mind. Later, on a visit to Rome, it came to him again as he painfully climbed the Lateran steps on his knees as a penance, seeking to earn his salvation. Eventually he understood that salvation does not come from works, but from faith.
The key word in this section of the book is not “why” but “woe”. Chapter 2:6-20 is a “Taunt Song”. Habakkuk can now speak with confidence about the outcome of the enemies’ wickedness. The first woe is against Greed:
Woe to him who piles up stolen goods and makes himself wealthy by extortion! How long must this go on? Will not your debtors suddenly arise? Will they not wake up and make you tremble? Then you will become their victim. Because you have plundered many nations, the peoples who are left will plunder you. For you have shed man’s blood; you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.
The Babylonians were known for their greed. They plundered their enemies’ property or persuaded them to make pledges or loans, which were never repaid. But the time would come when their victims would gain the upper hand and make them tremble. They themselves would be plundered. This actually happened when Persia conquered Babylon and took over all its wealth. While all this behaviour was typical of the pagan world, the laws given to Israel encouraged a very different attitude. The law given to Moses made it necessary for anyone taking a pledge from another to return it by the evening. All debts were cancelled in the seventh year and all property returned to its original owner in the 50th year of Jubilee. While Christians are not under the laws of Moses, it is our duty to show forgiveness, grace and mercy to those who have become our debtors, just as Christ goes on forgiving us and having mercy upon us even when we fail Him.
O Lord you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvellous things, things planned long ago. (Isaiah 25:1)
In preparation for the coming of Jesus, nothing took God by surprise. Every step was planned, including who were to be Jesus’ ancestors. His angels’ watch care extended over every facet of the plan – from the annunciation to Mary, to the flight to Egypt.
Likewise, if you are a believer, God has set His angels to watch over you, and to bring about His purposes for your life. He knew about you even before you were born. If you are submitted to Him, He will guide your footsteps all the way to Heaven.
by Norman Hillyer
Warm upon a maiden’s breast
A Jewish baby had been fed;
Reverently they gathered round;
“What’s his name?” the shepherds said.
Joseph placed his rough-hewn hand
Upon the smooth and tender head;
“After Joshua we shall call him”,
“A grand old name!” the shepherds said.
“Names,” said Joseph, “must have meaning:
Bethlehem means The House of Bread;
Joshua means The Lord shall save us.”
“Glory to God!” the shepherds said.
Mary lifted gentle Joshua,
Laid him in his manger-bed:
“Here lies peace for all the earth.’
‘The very words!” the shepherds said.
“Sleep, my Joshua, Hebrew baby;
From Bethlehem shall the world be fed;
But what strange name will Gentiles call him?”
“Jesus Christ”, the Wise Men said.
(from the Internet)
When they saw the star, they were thrilled with ecstatic joy. (Matthew 2:10)
The wise men lost sight of the star. After following it so far and getting so close to their goal, their guide was gone! What happened? Were they to fail in their quest? Would they not find the One they sought?
They assumed this great King would be born in Jerusalem. But when they turned to Jerusalem, the star disappeared. What a disappointment! Now they must ask, and where better than a king’s palace? Who better than the king?
How often I lose sight of my “Star”. I turn from trusting God to following my own logic. The road on which God is leading me doesn’t seem right somehow. So I turn down a side path, and become hopelessly lost.
What joy when, like the wise men, I am turned again to the right path, and there before me is the “Star”: the One whom I must follow to find the King of my heart.
Father God, keep me following Your leading, fill me with Your presence and prepare me for Your coming again. Amen
Then Herod privily called the Wise-men, and learned of them exactly what time the star appeared.
And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search out exactly concerning the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word, that I also may come and worship him.
And they, having heard the king, went their way; and lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
And when they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
And they came into the house and saw the young child with Mary his mother; and they fell down and worshipped him; and opening their treasures they offered unto him gifts: gold and frankincense and myrrh.
by Norman Hillyer
Deciding what to give is not always the simple task that advertisers pretend. Even the folk we know well can be a problem to please. But what in the world is one to wrap up for a king?
The Wise Men’s first choice was scarcely surprising. Gold has always been safe, even for royalty. The eastern visitors to Bethlehem added frankincense and myrrh as the next most costly gifts of the day. Unwittingly the Wise Men fulfilled an ancient prophecy (Isaiah 60:6).
The early Christians saw a deeper significance still. As an old hymn put it:
Gold, a monarch to declare;
Frankincense, that God is there;
Myrrh to tell the heavy tale
Of his tomb and funeral.
Other writers, with less poetry in their souls, have pointed out the practical usefulness of the gifts. God was providing in advance for the holy family, soon to become refugees from the jealous fears of Herod.
The gold would prove a godsend to meet their immediate needs. Once they had found a new home in Egypt, Joseph could earn their keep by his carpentry. But the frankincense and myrrh had their own considerable value in those days, and were in heavy demand. Both substances were fragrant gum-resins obtained by tapping certain trees found almost only in the Dhofat province of south Arabia. The exclusive trade brought relatively as much wealth to that part of the world as oil does today.
Other people took their cut too. Merchants had to pay toll every time their spice convoys passed from one district to another. If tolls became too exorbitant, then sea routes were used – until losses from piracy mounted beyond reason.
By the time the goods at last reached the market stall, a single pound weight of the finest frankincense had a price tag showing the equivalent of a fortnight’s pay for a Dagenham car-worker.
In most of the religions of the ancient East, frankincense was burned to make a fragrant smoke (Exodus 30:34). Widely praised by doctors for its healing qualities, frankincense was valued too as a disinfectant, in embalming, and as a pleasant deodorant. At a smart dinner-party it was customary to pass round a sweet-smelling sample for the guests to enjoy before coffee was served.
Myrrh too was part of gracious living among the well-to-do, in perfuming their clothes (Psalm 45:8), their beds (Proverbs 7:17), and themselves (Song of Solomon 1:13). It was noted for improving the taste of wine.
Doctors included it in their medicine chests, and some was offered to Jesus as a pain-killer before the crucifixion (Mark 15:23).
Secret disciple he may have been, but Nicodemus boldly brought nearly a hundredweight of myrrh and aloes to embalm the dead body of Jesus (John 19:39). Only the finest, at whatever cost, was good enough for his Master.
Jesus said to the woman, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” (John 4:10)
The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! (2 Corinthians 9:15)
God could just have sat up there in Heaven and said, “Mankind, I love you!” and meant every word of it. Yet without taking action to show His love, mankind would have never known about it.
Everything we have is a gift from God – proof of His love for us. But the greatest gift is the Lord Jesus Christ, who came straight from God’s heart to a lowly stable in Bethlehem. Jesus’ gift to us, His life, bought us salvation. When you are opening your gifts this Christmas, don’t forget to be thankful for the greatest gift of all: Jesus.
by Peter Richards (Torch co‑ordinator for Cornwall)
What do you do with presents you are given?
Once, when sorting through drawers in my bedroom, I found I had rather a lot of unopened boxes of hankies – dozens of them, in fact. Did this indicate a lack of appreciation for these useful commodities that had been given as presents over the years? Well, not exactly; I just hadn’t got round to opening and using and enjoying them.
We can be like that with God. It’s not that we’ve rejected Him (as some do). Most of us, I guess, have grown up sort of believing He’s there; that He’s the giver of so much that we enjoy – “All things bright and beautiful”. We love to sing the old hymns, we remember the bits of the Bible we’ve heard quoted so often – John 3:16 for example: “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son”.
Those are wonderful words, and when we hear someone say, “God loves you, He sent His Son to die for you”, we don’t say, “So what?” We can be quite moved to think somebody cares about us, but knowing it in your head is not the same as receiving it in your heart. I knew kind friends had given me boxes of white hankies, but they were not really mine until I opened them and started to use them and gain benefit from them.
There will come a day when each of us will be asked what we have done with God’s gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. Our whole future hangs on the answer we give to that question. Welcoming Jesus into your life is like opening an unimaginably wonderful present. It’s a present that changes everything. It’s the beginning of a transforming friendship. It’s like a brand new start in life – a second birthday.